All Saints Blog Week of December 14th, 2015

Third Week of Advent - Joy

The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete (latin for Rejoice) Sunday.  We light the pink candle in our Advent wreath, a break from the other purple candles, to signify our joyous preparation for the coming of Jesus.  This preparation plays out in practical ways through our work at All Saints High School.  We have worked hard supporting the Salamehs, the Syrian family that we are co-sponsoring with St. Elizabeth Parish.  Staff took some time a week ago to deliver the many donations of home furnishings to the newly acquired apartment for the family and set up a beautiful home.  Our staff and students have worked hard putting together our Christmas Hampers for those in our community who have additional needs.  Groups have been volunteering at a community shelter, preparing and serving meals to those who may not have much at this time of year.  All of this work is a practical way that our school community recognizes the importance of the Christmas Season.  I extend wishes of hope, peace, joy and love to all of our school families for the remainder of our advent season and through your celebrations of Christmas.

All Saints School Council meeting

A reminder that the All Saints School Council will be meeting on Monday, December 14th at 7:00pm in our Learning Commons space.  We will be reviewing student code of conduct (including dress code) and reviewing the school's approach to student wellness.  You can access the December 14th agenda at this link.

Cappies Awards

All Saints has been widely featured in the Capital Cappies program recently.  The “Cappies” is a writing and awards program that provides learning experiences high school theater and journalism students to be practical writers, critical thinkers, and leaders.  Our school play A Delightful Quarantine was reviewed by the Cappies group earlier in December.  You can see the collection of reviews here. Our own writers recently reviewed the Mother Teresa performance of Peter Pan - you can find their reviews here.  Thank you to all of our students and staff who are involved with the Cappies program.

All Saints Yearbooks - Make Great Christmas Gifts!

Yearbooks will be on sale at the school on Tuesday, December 15th and Wednesday, December 16th during both lunches (11:15 to 11:45) for $50. We are encouraging parents/guardians to consider giving a yearbook to your son or daughter as a Christmas gift!  We have coupons ready for you if you would like “gift” an indication that you pre-bought a yearbook into a Christmas stocking.  Parents are welcome to visit on Tuesday and Wednesday to purchase a yearbook in our atrium area.  Cash and cheques are accepted in person and you can also purchase using school cash online.

Vaccination notice from Ottawa Public Health

Please review the following if you have recently received a notice from Ottawa Public Health regarding an outstanding vaccination notice:Letter to parents

Communications

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsCHS as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

Parents and Guardians who have received a vaccination notice from Ottawa Public Health

* Please review the following if you have recently received a notice from Ottawa Public Health regarding an outstanding vaccination notice:

Dec. 10th, 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians:

As you may be aware, Ottawa Public Health has been reviewing their records of immunization for school children in Ottawa, in order to ensure they have up to date records. Records are reviewed annually to ensure they meet the Ontario Immunization Schedule. Ottawa Public Health has informed the school that your student does not have up to date immunization records.   This information should have been shared with you in a letter sent to you from Ottawa Public Health in the last month. In that letter the Health Department would have listed the missing immunization.

A second letter will be sent out that will outline that if the records are not received by Ottawa Public Health before the end of December, 2015, your child will be suspended from school. This means that your child will not be able to attend school until his or her vaccinations are up to date.

It is up to parents/guardians to update Public Health regarding vaccination records, therefore, your child may have already gotten the required needle but Ottawa Public Health needs to be notified. In other cases you may have to take your child to your family doctor or a walk in clinic to get the needle and then inform Ottawa Public Health that they have been immunized.

You can report the required vaccines to Ottawa Public Health using one of the following ways:

• Online; www.ParentinginOttawa.ca/immunization:  You will be able to enter the dates and the vaccines of all the additional immunizations your child has received and submit the information to Ottawa Public Health
• Fax:  613-580-9660 -   You can fax the information directly to Ottawa Public Health.
• Call: 613-580-6744: You will be able to speak to a public health nurse, provide the information about the vaccines received and discuss any questions you have about this student’s immunization record.
• Mail: 100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2G 6J8, mail code 26-44:  you can mail a copy of this student’s updated immunization record.

You may call Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 if you have any questions or need more information.  Please understand that the school is not permitted to pass along immunization information to Public Health.

Thank you for attending to this matter.

OCSB Refugee Support Information Night

WHEN:

Thursday, December 17 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm

WHERE:

Catholic Education Centre Boardroom

570 West Hunt Club Road

Ottawa, ON K2G 3R4

WHAT:

This information night is for individuals and groups sponsoring

refugee families. Information about the following topics will be

covered:

• Registering for an OCSB school

• Supports available through our Family Welcome Centre for

                  Newcomers

• English as a second language (ESL) support for students and adults

• Community supports from partner organizations

• Pastoral care and the Archdiocese

[participants are requested to] REGISTER ONLINE: https://goo.gl/DpmBSA

Note to participants: Although registration is not required, it helps us plan our event and allows us to send you a reminder. 

Parent-Guardian Survey for Christmas 2016- 2017

Parent & Guardian Survey: Christmas Vacation 2016-17

The OCSB Calendar Committee will meet in the new year to begin planning the school year calendar for 2016-17.  The Calendar Committee includes representatives from senior administration and a variety of partners including the various employee groups (teachers, principals, educational assistants, caretakers, ECE's, just to name a few).   Parents are represented by Sean Jackson, Chair of the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and Cathy Philpott, Chair of the Catholic School Parent's Association (CSPA).   There are many factors to consider in this process.  The Ministry of Education provides guidelines regarding the overall make up of the school year calendar including start and end dates, number of professional development days, suggested school breaks, etc.  Suggestions and feedback from all partners are reviewed when making decisions regarding the final OCSB school calendar. As your parent representatives, we are particularly seeking your recommendations regarding the options for Christmas holidays for next year.  We will provide this feedback to the committee. The choices being considered are: Option 1: Last day of school Friday, December 16, 2016. Christmas vacation beginning on Saturday, December 17, 2016 and ending on Sunday, January 1, 2017. Students return to school on Monday, January 2, 2017. or Option 2: Last day of school Friday, December 23, 2016.  Christmas vacation beginning on Saturday, December 24, 2016 and ending on Sunday, January 8, 2017.  Students return to school on Monday, January 9, 2017. What would you prefer?  Please take a moment to share your opinion now. Click on the Survey button below.  Feel free to share this survey with school council members and friends with children at Ottawa Catholic.    2016-17 Christmas Vacation Survey Thanks!  We appreciate your input.   Sean Jackson                Cathy Philpott      PIC Chair                        CSPA Chair

All Saints Blog Week of November 30th, 2015

First Week of Advent - Hope

We celebrated the first week of Advent this past Sunday, and as a Christian community, we light the first candle in our wreath and consider the theme of Hope.  This focuses our attention on the true preparation for Christmas that is often competing with the messaging that comes so quickly in our malls and in our media.  We are fortunate at All Saints to have a number of practical ways of spreading the message of hope within our wider community.  Our sponsorship of a Syrian refugee family and our collaboration on Christmas Hampers for the needy allow us to sow the seeds of Hope with others.

All Saints sponsors Syrian family - Meet the Salamehs:

The Salameh Family is our refugee family being sponsored by St. Elizabeth Parish in collaboration with All Saints and our HOPE Team social justice club. The Salameh’s father, Naji, was a taxi driver in his home region of Dara’a, Syria. One day in 2011, he was called to drive some individuals to a remote area of town. There he was forcibly told that he must join the Syrian Free Army or he would be killed. He falsely told them that he would join them to save his life. They tortured him and he finally managed to escape and decided to flee Syria with his family. Naji is 47 years old, speaks Arabic and can read some English.   

Naji’s wife Georgette Matouk was a hairdresser when the family lived in Syria. She is 39 years old and speaks some French.  Their daughter, Victoria, recently turned 18. She was at school the day militants stormed the school and terrorized all of the children. They forced the children out and bombed the building. Victoria can speak Arabic and French, and understands some English.  Their son, Tony, just turned 16 years old in early November. He has not yet completed high school and speaks Arabic and some French.

The Salamehs are devout Christians. They have been residing in a refugee camp in Lebanon, but just recently discovered that they would be travelling to our city. The staff and students at All Saints have been gracious in their donations of various household items and their assistance in preparing an apartment for the family.  We sow the seeds of Hope for the Salameh family.

Christmas Hampers at All Saints

Our expression of Hope also extends to our organization of support around our Christmas Hampers and the assistance that provides to families in our wider community.  Each homeroom has been assigned a family to help.  Collection of food and gifts will continue this week and we encourage all students to get involved.  This year we are helping 45 families from our own school, our sister school St. Elizabeth, Lester B. Pearson and a couple of families who have been referred to us from the community.  This is one of our biggest charitable endeavors of the year and we really encourage families to engage in conversation about giving and respecting the dignity of those in need. This is a wonderful example of Restoring One Another in the Spirit of Gentleness (our Board theme) and we know from past years how much our assistance means to the families we help.  We so the seeds of Hope for our community

School Production: The Delightful Quarantine

Congratulations to our students and staff involved in organizing this term’s production of A Delightful Quarantine.  The play focused on a number of vignettes of individuals “stuck” with each other during an alien quarantine, and the resulting situations are both humorous and uplifting.  The students’ enthusiasm in preparing their roles was very evident, and their collaboration on the final product was great.  

Ottawa Senators Ticket Fundraiser

The All Saints School Council has teamed up with the Ottawa Senators to bring hockey tickets to our community at a reduced rate.  In addition to the savings to ticket purchasers, a portion of the ticket proceeds go directly back to the school.  We are looking to use the funds to begin refurbishing our weight/exercise room for students.  Tickets are available for a number of games with different seating levels for each.  Order forms are available from your son/daughter or you can download the form here (click on link), fill it out and send it into school with your son/daughter.  Please make cheques payable to All Saints School Council.  Makes a great Christmas gift!

All Saints Christmas Concert

Our School Christmas Concert is this Wednesday, December 2nd from 6:30 to 8:30.  We encourage all of our community to attend and bring a canned food for our food drive.

Communications

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsCHS as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

All Saints Blog Week of November 23rd, 2015

Dominican Experience Auction

A huge thank you to the large group from our school community who turned out to support our DR experience auction last Friday.  The funding from the auction assists with our work in the Dominican where we opened a small school in 2013 to provide early learning for Haitians in the country who are not entitled to government sponsored education. All Saints pays the salaries of two teachers and buys uniforms and supplies for the children who attend. The auction funds will go a long way to continue the Canadian support for this school.

School Play: A Delightful Quarantine

Our school play will be presented this coming week.  Our student Marco Cornejo wrote the following synopsis of the play:

When extra terrestrial visitors offer a threat to the public safety of the suburban community of Susqua Creek Acres, Pennsylvania, its residents and guests are forced into immediate house bound quarantine, the time of which shows to be more than a little inconvenient. As the dwellers are haphazardly corralled, the situation creates opportunity for secrecy, romance, familial ligature, and buffoonery. A Delightful Quarantine leads audiences through the entwined stories of a mother reunited with the daughter she gave up to adoption thirty-two years earlier, an ill executed house burglary, two curiosity-brimmed young boys “home alone” for the duration, a man with a secret that may doom his marriage, a rekindling high school romance, a woman with fourteen invisible cats, and a brother who cannot honor his sick sister’s only wish.

Ottawa Senators Ticket Fundraiser

The All Saints School Council has teamed up with the Ottawa Senators to bring hockey tickets to our community at a reduced rate.  In addition to the savings to ticket purchasers, a portion of the ticket proceeds go directly back to the school.  We are looking to use the funds to begin refurbishing our weight/exercise room for students.  Tickets are available for a number of games with different seating levels for each.  Order forms are available from your son/daughter or you can download the form here, fill it out and send it into school with your son/daughter.  Please make cheques payable to All Saints School Council.  Makes a great Christmas gift!

Communications
Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsCHS as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

Dealing with the terror attacks in France

November 16th, 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As a Catholic School Community we are deeply saddened by the recent events in Paris.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected in France.  Families and educators will together be instrumental in helping children and youth understand and cope with this violence and loss of life. One of the goals in our school is to work in collaboration with our parent community to help children feel safe and to understand that events like this are rare. We recognize that it is important to gauge each child`s reaction, if any, and to allow each person to express as much concern and grief as they wish.

It is recommended that parents/guardians monitor their child’s and their own personal exposure to information on television or other media forums. On-going exposure to traumatic events can increase stress levels.  We realize that most students will receive sufficient support through family.  If, however, you feel your child requires additional assistance in dealing with these unsettling events,
please do not hesitate to contact our Student Services department.

We continue to pray for all those affected by this tragedy.

Sincerely,
Sean Kelly

All Saints Blog Week of November 16th, 2015

Bullying Awareness Week

This coming week is Bullying Awareness Week across Canada.  We have a number of activities planned at All Saints to bring awareness to this important topic.  Tuesday is our Blue Ribbon day, where students will write about practical things they can do to stop bullying.  These messages will be on display in our atrium.  On Wednesday, Peer Helpers and Kindness Club members will facilitate Pink Day activities during both lunches in the atrium.  All staff and students are invited to sign our poster as a pledge that we will celebrate diversity & stand up to bullying. Everyone who signs the poster will be entered into a draw to win mini pink cupcakes. One winner will be awarded in high school and one in 7/8.  In addition, everyone is asked to wear pink as a way to show support.  Thursday is Cyber Celebrating Day where Peer Helpers will be in the atrium at lunch encouraging students to post a positive message on social media with the #stand up to bullying.  Students who post a sweet tweet, instagram or facebook message will receive a “sweet”.  Morning prayers and announcements will also focus on the theme of eliminating bullying.

Remembrance day

All Saints observed a very meaningful Remembrance Day ceremony at the school this past week.  Students presented a number of videos highlighting the accomplishments of our veterans, as well as stories of those who supported our country through numerous conflicts.  The ceremony focused on the importance of peace while remembering the participation of our country in times of war.  Thank you to our staff who facilitated the presentation, as well as the many students who participated.

WE Day

A number of our students participated in Ottawa’s celebration of We Day last Tuesday.  Two of our students collaborated on a description of their experience:

A selected group of high school and 7/8 students had an amazing and inspiring trip to We Day. We heard from aspiring activists and celebrities who shared their motivational stories such as Justin Trudeau, Rick Hansen (Para-olympian), Spencer West, Lily Singh (Youtuber), Henry Winkler, and the creators of We Day, Marc and Craig Kielburger. During our time there, we were told about all the amazing programs that Me to We has created, such as the Adopt a Village program. We heard that we do not need to be the change of tomorrow, but that we can be the change of today. After a life changing day, we were all ready to get started to do anything we could to help change the world a little bit at a time. We left We Day with the message that we are powerful young minds who can change the world.  – Maeve Cavanagh and Mia Gadiano

Ottawa Senators Ticket Fundraiser

The All Saints School Council has teamed up with the Ottawa Senators to bring hockey tickets to our community at a reduced rate.  In addition to the savings to ticket purchasers, a portion of the ticket proceeds go directly back to the school.  We are looking to use the funds to begin refurbishing our weight/exercise room for students.  Tickets are available for a number of games with different seating levels for each.  Order forms are available from your son/daughter or you can download the form here, fill it out and send it into school with your son/daughter.  Please make cheques payable to All Saints School Council.  Makes a great Christmas gift!

Dominican Experience - Live and Silent Auction Wine & Cheese

All Saints Catholic High School has been running a Dominican Experience program for students since 2009. Through fundraising, we opened a small school there in 2013 to provide early learning for Haitians in the country who are not entitled to government sponsored education. All Saints pays the salaries of two teachers and buys uniforms and supplies for the children who attend. On Friday, November 20th at 6:30 pm they are hosting a Live and Silent Auction Wine & Cheese at the school in support of this cause. Signed jerseys, hockey tickets, spa packages, and gift baskets are among the items to be bid on. All are welcome!

View the information poster here

7&8 Parent-Teacher Interviews

Grade 7&8 parent-teacher interviews will take place this week on Thursday, November 19th.  There will be an early dismissal at 1:30 pm for all students grades 7-12. The times for interviews are 2:00 to 4:00 and again from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

Booking interviews will be done online through the You Can Book Me program. The link is on our website as well as here: https://allsaintshigh1.youcanbook.me/.  Please note interviews are 10 minutes in length and parents are asked to request a maximum of one interview slot per teacher (even if the teacher teaches your child more than one subject).  Progress Reports were sent home Thursday, November 5th.

Parent Session with Barbara Coloroso

From toddlers to teens, teaching kids to think and act ethically Featuring Barbara Coloroso - educator, speaker, best-selling author.

All parents are invited to a FREE evening packed with solid practical advice on how to use the stuff of everyday life to teach children to act with integrity, civility, and compassion.  Childcare will be available. If you require childcare, you must pre-register in order to reserve a place for your child

Wednesday, November 18th, 2015

6:30 - 8:30 pm - Frank Ryan Catholic Intermediate School - 120 Chesterton Drive, Nepean

Register Now:  http://bit.ly/1LM5zXb

Student Feedback - Take Your Kid to Work Day

Last week I spoke about the great experience students had with Take Your Kid to Work Day.  Two students were kind enough to share their experience regarding the opportunity:

'Take Our Kids To Work Day' was a very inspirational and informative day.  I got to go to work with my Dad, an engineer who designs parts for the military and airplanes. I got to meet his colleagues whom he talks about at the dinner table.  I now have a better understanding of the workforce.  I think everyone should participate in 'Take Our Kids To Work Day', as it is a great way to see what your parents/guardians do.

-Jaclyn Szick

My impression of 'Take Our Kids To Work Day' was amazing.  I learned so much about what my Mom does.  She is the 'chief corporate' of classifications at Stats Canada.  What I did at my Mom's office?  Well, I did filling of classification decisions, but I also got to watch the swearing in of Justin Trudeau!  I photocopied for my Mom's colleague as well.  I the met the director and the director-general as I sat in on a meeting.  The day was the best day of all time.  I learned so much and am interested in working for Stats Canada when I'm older.

-Sam Clost

Communications

Check out our blog – allsaintschs.blogspot.ca and our twitter @AllSaintsCHS as well as our website ash.ocsb.ca for all that is happening at All Saints!

Coming Up:

November 25th to 27th: School Play